To Protect Her
by Hero McAllen
Summary: After witnessing Hyrule's second destruction and learning that his new friend must perish by his hand, Link begins to think of a way to defy fate.


Disclaimer: Yeah, I don't own Link…darn it.

AN: Once again, any words you don't understand that look like I hiccupped while typing are words in Gerudo that I made up. Just to let ya know :)

To Protect Her

            _One year, four months, ten days_

                        The cold February wind seemed to blow in with them. As they trudged down the twisted path to the valley floor the first sprinkling of rain began to fall upon the ground. They ran, each tired to get home where it was warm and dry. With a smile and wave the group departed, and only Loraefin, Link, and Navi were left. They were silent as the walked down the empty street to Loraefin's home, all tired from the long ride across Hyrule Field. Loraefin wrapped her arms about herself to keep the little warmth she had with her until she could plant herself in front of the fire. It had been a pleasant experience she thought and there was nothing to get so worked up about. She had met with the Sages, answered all the questions she could (which were not many, but she tried) and unknowingly further rooted herself in Hyrule's twisted and strange existence. But she was happy and content, and that was all she cared about at the moment. That and getting home as dry as possible.

                                Link studied her out of the corner of his eye, how she casually brushed the stray pieces of hair off her forehead, how her stormy eyes only focused forward while she was determined to get somewhere. She rubbed her hands up and down her upper arms and gave a little cough, sniffling after.

                "I think I caught a cold," she said miserably, crinkling her nose as if she were to sneeze.

                                 They reached the front door just as it started to rain hard and Link held the door open for her. The fire was going and Mrs. Hake and Re'ale were seated by it reading. Loraefin's mother's face lit up as she saw her daughter being delivered safe and sound again to them once more. But then of course, she never doubted it. She brought them blankets and made them sit by the fire, bringing them each a bowl of soup when it was ready. The rain could be heard beating hard against the roof, creating a drowsy, rhythmic tune. After Mrs. Hake had asked all of the questions she could, she and Re'ale departed upstairs, leaving Link and Loraefin to get warm by the fire. They were alone with the exception of all four dogs and Navi who had all fallen asleep.

                "I think Navi is asleep," Loraefin whispered smiling as the first thunder boomed in the sky. Indeed Navi was as she perched on one of the extra blankets Mrs. Hake had thrown down. Her wings flitted every few minutes and her usually bright glow had faded to a small glimmer.

                "She must have been tired," Link said, taking a spoonful of his soup and listening to the rain. "Looks like the storm is here. How are you feeling?"

                "Tired too," she replied, readjusting the blankets over her. "Tired but happy." She lowered her head for a moment and let out a stifled cough.

                "I think you're sick," he said matter-of-factly, putting his soup bowl down. "That ride across the field must have gotten to you, it's a good thing we got back before the storm was on top of us." Loraefin closed her eyes to let them relax for a moment.

                "Nah, I'll be fine," she exhaled deeply. "Aren't you cold? I'm freezing." Link grinned and opened his blanket up.

                "Here, share mine with me."

                                Loraefin gave him a funny smile and slid over to him as he brought his arm around her shoulder with the blanket. They were close to one another and Loraefin playfully put her head on Link's chest. She felt very odd doing so but Link didn't seem to mind.

                "What's with this attitude all of a sudden?" She laughed and then sneezed. "Excuse me." Link stared at the fire, not answering her for a moment. The thunder boomed again outside and Link felt Loraefin's body tense for a moment before relaxing once more.

                "Nothing, do I need a reason?" He asked. Loraefin lifted her head and searched his eyes as that always proved to do her some good.

                "No," she began slowly. "It's just not the normal way you act toward me. Is there something the matter? It doesn't have anything to do with the sages does it?" Her eyes darted back and forth on his face, waiting for an answer.

                "Of course not, it's just…" The Sages' words repeated in his mind and the mental image of the Master Sword stained with blood flashed. As he looked at her, for a moment he imagined he was looking at a walking corpse. He flinched and pushed that thought out of his mind. "I don't know what it is, I'm funny that way."

                "Hmm," Loraefin said a bit puzzled still and let her head again rest on him. They sat in silence for a few moments watching the fire and listening to the rain. "It's my birthday in a week," she broke the silence abruptly. Link looked at her in surprise.

                "Really? And when were you planning on telling me this huh?" He beamed, rubbing her one shoulder in a big brother sort of way.

                "I don't know, I guess it slipped my mind."

                "How old are you going to be?"

                "_Jijuhu…Nineteen."_

                "You're older than me?" Link smiled again and let out a small laugh. 

                "Guess so, why, when's your birthday?"

                "Beginning of June."

                "Yep, I'm older than you."

                                Another sneeze took Loraefin as she finished the last sentence. Link pulled her closer, perhaps with the half-baked idea that if he did so, he could somehow protect her from the fate in which he was told. That's all he wanted to do now was protect her, whether it was the hero in him or simply friendship, he didn't know nor care, but he knew he must do it somehow. He looked down at the top of her hair and watched the firelight play off of the shine as she sat there. 

                "Now I'm starting to feel miserable," she half-moaned and half-laughed at herself, "I don't know if I can stay awake for much longer Link." She coughed again and sniffed, pulling a bit away from him. "I don't want to get you sick too, you've got a long ride ahead of you again. I told you that we didn't need an escort back, thick headed _levadjee male." She grinned comically and smacked Link playfully on the knee so he would know she was joking. He retaliated by ruffling her hair, making it an awry mass on her head. _

                "Oh yeah, well take this hero," she reached out and pinched then tugged on his large pointed ears, making him feign a yelp.

                "Oh, oh! Somebody stop her! Help me, I can't possibly defend myself! Call the Hyrule Battle Forces!" He grinned as she coughed in the midst of her laughing, unable to stop.

                "Better watch it _boy before I sneeze all over you, then you'll be sorry," she shot back, still smiling. Link could see in her eyes that she was likely to fall asleep at any moment and he stood up and pulled her up beside him. _

                "I'm sure I would be _girl, but you're going to fall asleep on me so you need to go to bed. Come on, I'll help you up the stairs, you look so drowsy I wouldn't be surprised if you would fall down them." He put a loose arm around her waist and led her up the stairs, her footing very uneven as she walked. Gabriel lifted his head sleepily and slowly got up, following the two up the stairs. She shared a room with Joshuan, but he wasn't home at the moment and the room was dark and empty. Gabriel of course helped himself to Joshuan's bed and settled in comfortably to do his duty as the dog and protect his pack-sister as she slept._

                "Where's Joshuan?" Link asked her, wondering if she was still with him even. Loraefin glanced around the room for a moment with very tired eyes.

                "Oh, he must be over at my Uncle Jefftren's house still helping with the new cellar, he probably stayed the night so they could get right to it in the morning. Besides, he and Lycus always have a fun time together, I can only imagine how much work they actually got done." Her voice was sarcastic, but not harsh. She crawled into bed and pulled the covers over her, closing her eyes after her. Loraefin's mother appeared in the doorway next to Link with some extra blankets. She came so quietly that she startled him almost.

                "I'm not letting you leave back home in this weather at this time of night, you know that right?" She said quietly and handed him the blankets. "You can either sleep downstairs or," she eyed him in a motherly fashion, "you can take Joshuan's bed for tonight." Link's face flushed a bit and she smiled at him.

                "Downstairs would be fine, thank you Lindie," he replied quietly and took the two blankets under his arm. "I'll probably head off earlier tomorrow, nobody is expecting me to be gone long." Lindie nodded and went to kiss her daughter lightly on the cheek as if she was five years old again and left the room.

                "Night Fin," Link whispered as he slowly shut the door as another thunder boomed far away.

                "Thanks Link, night," Loraefin called back, invisible under a mound of quilt. "Don't leave tomorrow before I get up, okay?"

                "Okay Fin, good night," Link chuckled and shut the door. Link smiled and listened to the rain and thunder outside as he walked back down the stairs. He didn't want to lose this friendship.

                                _I know what the future Sages told me, but some part of me won't accept it Fin, it just can't. There has to be something else, anything else that can stop Ganondorf without losing you. I feel this guilt already every time I look at you, that I know what you must do, but you do not. I can't tell you it, that would be unfair to you to have to live out these next year with the knowledge that that is all you have left. No, I can't do it. Your mother just came to kiss you on the cheek as if you were a little child again, how can you be the one to stop Ganondorf huh? Is that really the fate you have to look forward to? Your blood on the end of sword? That can't be right, I won't let it be right. I want to protect you…_

                                He stopped that line of thinking there as the thunder crashed loudly outside. He was only making it harder on himself and he knew that, but he couldn't help it. Some part of him felt every time he looked at her that he had a part in her murder. He couldn't stand that. It took him a few minutes to realize the tears welting up in his eyes and he quickly wiped them away. Link watched her sleeping for a long time, going over every little word that the future Sages had told him.

                                _I've got this much figured out Fin, either I have one year to figure out how to change fate or…By the Goddesses Fin…I'm sorry.                      _

AN: Yeah, I know that was short, but it just didn't seem to fit on the end of Hark The Herald to Thy Future! Sappy? Maybe, but I like it gosh darn it! Thanks for reading everyone!


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